As a conventional configuration for detecting a temperature, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-047039), for example, discloses a temperature sensing circuit as described below. In other words, the temperature sensing circuit in which at least one diode is embedded in a semiconductor substrate provided with an object, a temperature of which is to be sensed, includes a depletion-mode MOS transistor for supplying a forward current to a diode, first voltage comparing means that has a plurality of selective threshold values and serves for receiving the forward voltage of the diode, and second voltage comparing means that has a comparative reference voltage different from the threshold values of the first voltage comparing means and serves for amplifying an output of the first voltage comparing means and outputting the amplified output.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-047039